Grief can affect individuals in a variety of ways. The exact same situation can affect people differently. While it’s important not to rush the grieving process so that there are no internalised feelings and fears that don’t get dealt with, there are a few unusual ways to deal with the process in a healthy way. Instead of crying, staying in bed, and shutting yourself away, the following techniques can be helpful:

Pet Therapy
If you’ve ever had a pet, you may know first hand about their ability to elevate the mood of the people around them. Pets have proven to be effective in helping people to adjust to difficult situations, and even to adjust to illnesses. By having a pet around to love and care for, you could also experience many health benefits.

Art Therapy
Art therapy is a great idea for both adults and children. With art therapy, creativeness is used to express grief. Whether using paints, pencils, felts, or another medium, art therapy has proven to be effective. It can help people to move through the different stages, and is almost like a form of meditation.

Mindfulness
Speaking of meditation, practicing mindfulness is also a wonderful way to care for your spiritual self and process grief. You can meditate in the traditional way, try yoga, or simply some deep breathing. Doing this forces you to be present with the feelings you have, and can help you to stop resisting them.

You can learn more about the grieving process in the infographic below.